Poll: Iranians More Liberal and Democratic Than Thought

A first time ever telephone poll of what researchers claimed was a representative sampling of Iranians living in Iran shows that the majority of Iranians are in favor of democracy. The questions in the poll were prepared by Israeli researchers, and were presented in a non-political framework, so as not to frighten off participants who fear the country's dictators and clerics.

Despite holding conservative beliefs in many areas, the poll showed, a large majority of Iranians – 94% - supported free choice for individuals, while 71% advocated tolerating people of all backgrounds. The results of the poll were compared to the results in 64 other countries, and based on the comparison, the potential for a successful democracy in Iran is stronger than in many other countries, including Arab countries like Morocco and Egypt. Iranians have more liberal views than do residents of Russia, Ukraine, and Romania, the poll showed.